


Paradise by Pegaso

by Measured



Category: Subarashiki Kono Sekai | The World Ends With You
Genre: Ensemble Cast, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-03
Updated: 2011-12-03
Packaged: 2017-11-08 10:34:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,787
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/442263
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Measured/pseuds/Measured
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Neku knew he'd messed up at that point. Joshua loved making people uncomfortable. Introducing him to the group opened excruciating new opportunities for just that</p>
            </blockquote>





	Paradise by Pegaso

**Author's Note:**

  * For [alliterations](https://archiveofourown.org/users/alliterations/gifts).



> TWEWY secret santa.

Eri had become a member of the group without even any effort on Shiki's part. She was always vivacious and outgoing like that, so it was no surprise when she started hanging with them as well. She didn't quite get all the in-jokes, or understand why Rhyme, Beat and Neku sometimes confused them, but she never held it against any of them either.

Today, Neku was late, but the rest of the group was there. They were sitting in the latest restaurant, which had made its fame with sculpted modern art chairs in a garden area grown right inside.

Shiki checked her watch for the fifth time that hour. "I'll send him another message," she said. She worked her thumb over the buttons, waiting for the little _ding_ of a new message that wasn't forthcoming.

"Is it just me, or is thing becoming a regular occurrence?" Eri said.

"Come to think of it, he did come in late last time. It's not like him," Rhyme said. "Now, _Beat_..."

"Hey!" Beat protested. "I come on time."

"Maybe in Eastern Standard Time," she said.

Shiki and Eri couldn't resist a giggle at that. Beat glared at them, but that just got them laughing harder.

"She's right, you know," Shiki said when the giggles had subsided. "You'll be late for your own funeral."

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Beat said more solemnly.

Shiki, Rhyme and Beat fell silent. Eri looked from person to person, not quite getting it, but polite enough not to ask. It might have remained quiet, with Eri awkwardly looking on from the sides, except that was when Eri caught sight of someone coming their way.

"Here he comes!" Eri said.

" _Now_ who's the late one, huh?" Beat said with just a little smugness.

"Yeah, yeah," Neku said. He got in one of the stone chairs with a back like a squiggle.

"Are we really paying extra for these? It's pretty uncomfortable," Neku said.

"That's Shibuya for you," Eri said with a smile.

"Where's your sense of adventure?" Shiki teased.

"I must have left it at home under the bed," Neku said dryly.

Eri took a deep whiff. "Paradise by Pegaso." she said dramatically.

"What?" Shiki said. The rest of the group looked at her quizzically.

"That's what he's wearing," Eri said.

"Pegaso, man?" Beat said. "Didn't think you went for that fancy stuff."

Neku blanched. He tugged at his collar, pulling it up some more. "I don't," he said.

"Oho!" Eri said. " _Now_ we get to the juicy point. If it isn't his, then _whose is it?_ "

Neku frowned. "What?"

"Yo, Neku. Your hair does look a little messier than usual," Beat remarked.

Beat always was a little prone to stating the obvious. Neku rolled his eyes and sighed.

"I bumped into someone. Literally," Neku said.

"I don't buy it," Eri said. "Not for a minute."

"It doesn't matter whether you do or not," Neku said. "You weren't there."

"That's true," Shiki admitted. "It's not like you can prove he wasn't where he said he was."

"Oh _can't_ I?" Eri said.

Eri reached out quick and tugged his high collar down. Stark against the paleness of his neck was a bruise.

Beat dropped his curry-covered spoon. He reached out to cover Rhyme's ears. "I'd give you a bump, man, but Rhyme can't be hearin' this, ya hear?"

Rhyme squirmed in protest. "Brother!"

"It's for your own good–"

He left out an _oof_ as she got him in the stomach with her elbow. Now her hat was lopsided, and he was still bent over from the pain, but he still had her in his grip.

Oblivious to the racket beside them, Shiki and Eri kept their gaze on Neku.

"Sooo. Who's the girl?" Eri said. She smiled triumphantly.

Neku mumbled something.

"You'll have to speak up," Eri said. Her voice had taken on a sing-song quality.

"I said _it wasn't a girl_."

If Beat had still had his curry spoon, he'd have surely dropped it all over again. Instead, he just gaped.

"W-well, that's. Uh," he said.

"That's very good!" Shiki said, perhaps a little too enthusiastically.

"Is it someone we know?" Eri said.

"We're not having this conversation," Neku said.

"Oh, come on. Spill the beans! This is _way_ too juicy to just let go," Eri said.

"Yeah uh...congrats, man," Beat said weakly. "I support you and all...not that there's anything wrong with that."

Neku grunted and picked up the menu. "What are you ordering?"

"Oh, come on," Eri said. "You know we're not going to give up that easily."

Neku peered over the top of the menu as if to say _try me_.

Shiki patted her on the shoulder. "We'll get it out of him eventually."

Eri smile. "Oh, don't I know it."

*

Neku was still working on forgiving Joshua. Joshua was still a dick, for one thing. He was smug, unrepentant about how he'd manipulated Neku, no matter how it'd turned out for the better. Neku was just working on it while making out with him. He liked Joshua a lot more when his tongue was in his mouth, and Joshua could do some amazing things with his tongue.

The alarm on his cell phone went off, and he broke away. Joshua sighed. His hair was messy and silky, and yet it just looked like some new Shibuya hairdo. Joshua always looked good, even if they'd been rolling around in the dirt together.

Maybe that was one of the perks of being a Composer.

"I'm still angry at you," Neku said as he pulled back and this time, tried to put his hair in order.

"Oh dear. Teenage angst again?" Joshua said. "I thought you were over that."

Neku glared. "No. I'm not."

Trusting your partner generally meant not punching them in the face. Even when they were being a jerk. He reminded himself this just as he had reminded himself so many times when they were partnered in the UG.

Joshua sighed again. "Oh Neku, Neku. Whatever am I to do with you? Actually, I can think of a few things..."

He leaned in and licked the hollow of Neku's neck. Neku let out an moan, and had to fight the urge just to lay back and let Joshua keep doing that to him. But he disentangled himself anyways. A promise was a promise.

"Not this time. I promised the group I'd be there today," Neku said.

Joshua blew his hair out of his face. "Then again?

"I did invite you. You never showed," Neku said.

Thus setting back their tentative return to something like friendship back a whole year.

"Excuse me for being too busy trying to keep Shibuya out of the fire," Joshua said. "Besides, just because you couldn't see me doesn't mean I wasn't there."

"I never said you couldn't come," Neku said. "They already know I'm going with some guy, though."

Joshua giggled, and Neku knew he'd messed up at that point. Joshua loved making people uncomfortable. Introducing him to the group opened excruciating new opportunities for just that.

He muttered a _Whatever_ as he left.

He wasn't surprised when he soon found Joshua in stride with him, looking entirely too pleased with himself.

Even more so than usual.

*

"All right! I told you he'd be on-time. You owe me a meal," Shiki said, when Neku stepped up to Hachiko, their meeting place of choice.

"Aww, man. Couldn't you be at least five minutes late?" Beat said.

"What do you think?" Eri asked. She spun around, and had Shiki do the same.

Shiki and Eri were wearing matching outfits, with tight capris from D+B, with gauzy shirts from Tigre Punks in different colors and high black boots.

"Not bad," Neku said.

"If by _not bad_ , you mean _fabulous_ , then yes," Eri said.

Shiki patted her on the shoulder. "Don't feel bad, he's like that with everyone. And everything."

Eri took a deep inhale. "Elegant for Men by Dragon Couture!" she proclaimed dramatically.

"Probably," Neku said.

"Definitely," Eri said. "I'd recognize that scent anywhere."

"When are you going to introduce him to the group?" Shiki said. "We get friends dibs on meeting your boyfriend."

"Uh...yeah," Beat replied weakly, and only after Rhyme had elbowed him in the ribs.

"How quaint."

Everyone turned to the owner of the voice, and Joshua pushed his silky hair out of his face.

"Am I interrupting something?" he said.

"Oh, no, not at all," Shiki said.

"Oho, does that mean you're the man of mystery?" Eri said.

"I've been called that a time or two," Joshua said.

"This...is Joshua," Neku said.

Shiki and Beat froze, realization finally setting in.

"Is he–"

"Yes," Neku said.

Everyone fell silent. Rhyme and Eri in confusion, while Shiki and Beat seemed simply stunned.

"Well, I think that calls for a smoothie. What do you guys think?" Eri said. When it came to awkward moments, Eri knew just how to cut through and make things well, smooth again.

"Sounds lovely," Joshua said. He slipped his arm in Neku's until they met at the juncture of elbows."Don't you think so, _dear?_ "

Neku glowered at him.

"Sounds great!" Shiki said. "There's this new place near the Shibuya center that I hear is really healthy and good."

"Yeah, great–" Beat said. For once, his uncomfortableness wasn't just based on his orientation.

"You sure about this, Phones?" Beat said. He looked back to Joshua.

"He's my partner, and I trust him, even if he is a dick," Neku said.

"Aight. I'll trust you if you really think so," Beat said. He nodded, though averting his eyes from the fact that Joshua was doing his best to personally make him uncomfortable. He went on ahead, and whatever he said next disappeared in the lilt of Shiki and Eri's laughter.

"You do know I could hear every word you were saying," Joshua said.

"You'd hear it anyways," Neku muttered. "Being you're the Composer and all."

"True," Joshua said. "I suppose it's one of the perks of the job. Getting to listen to oh-so fascinating bits of teenage gossip. However would I survive without it?"

"Yo, phones, stop lagging!" Beat called.

"Indeed. Do hurry up, Neku. Otherwise, I might just have to call you 'snookums'. And I don't think either of us want that."

"I'm coming, I'm coming," Neku said.

"Hee hee...that's what you said last night," Joshua said.

Neku couldn't help but flush a bit at that. He pulled up his collar to try and hide the redness–and any residual hickeys–and slouched as they went on to be with his friends and partners, and the one guy who was to blame for it all.


End file.
